Saint Paul (polyptych, panel 4 of 5)

This panel of Saint Paul belongs to a five-part polyptych by the Master of the Dominican Effigies, an anonymous Florentine painter active in the mid-Trecento whose name derives from a series of portraits of Dominican friars. Created around 1345, the work reflects the Dominican order's emphasis on theological learning, with Paul shown as the intellectual apostle. Now in the Courtauld Gallery, London, it exemplifies the devotional polyptych format favored by mendicant orders for their chapter houses and side altars.

Executed in egg tempera on a gold-ground panel with fine punch-work haloes characteristic of mid-Trecento Florentine workshops. The figure displays the flat, hieratic style typical of this anonymous master, with simplified drapery folds and strong contour lines.